Becoming One with that which I Meditate Upon

For years now I've been hearing the same thing again and again.  It doesn't seem to matter where I hear it, or the setting I hear it in, but whenever someone asks what makes the difference in our spiritual journey most teachers will invariably say the same thing; you must meditate daily.

The interesting element of all this for me is that for years I'd hear this and really want to believe it.  There'd be classes during which I'd start off with the best of intentions.  And after about week 3 or 4 I'd have lost the habit.  Fortunately, I also came to discover for myself a couple of years ago that such words were trying to capture an idea so much more profound than could possibly be contained in the words themselves.  And since then I've been meditating at least once a day. 

In fact, it's gotten to the point that I now meditate at various points in the day.  Sometimes I'll take a full 30 or 60 minutes and at other times I'll snatch a few minutes of clearing my mind.  Regardless of how I might feel about all this, the result is something that cannot be expressed through this blog in words.  And the irony of all this?  If you're reading this and do not have a daily practice, or have not discovered what meditation means to you, then these are just words.  No amount of intellectual positioning will cause an internal shift for you.  You alone must make the decision.  You may be influenced, but in the end you will have to come to this place for yourself.

And yet, if you are curiously reading on or have already discovered this practice for yourself then you might have a care to read about what meditation means to me and what I am coming to discover on this particular aspect of my journey.  Perhaps the most fundamental impact of this spiritual practice is that it has been an integral part of what it is to open my eyes and to be conscious.  Being conscious of what I am doing has helped me to look critcally at those parts of me that had become so well-versed at listening to instinct.  Much of my life was filled with a lack of knowing what it was that I wanted.  Meditation has been instrumental in helping in this regard.

But don't be fooled.  This has been far from an easy journey.  For a long time I meditated and believe I did not get the results I might have.  In my experience the time I spent meditating was significantly more than compared to the time being taught, or reading, about it.  I've never found a 'guru' to teach me or had the opportunity to spend any time with a master.  For the most part I've had to work it out as I've gone along.  If the saying 'when the student is ready the teacher will appear' is true then clearly I've not been ready.  And so until I'm ready I'm going about it all as best as I can. 

I think I've had hints at what to look for but another challenge is that there so much information out there.  Yesterday I Tweeted that, "we hear the same spiritual teachings ceaslessly because such repetition pales against the number of teachings from the noise of instinct."  In short, there are so many teachers and aspects of the Truth out there because it's needed.  The amount of unconscious noise in the world is so loud that it's causing the need for Truth to be ever clearer.  You only have to consider how many millions of moments you have acted unconsciously to realize that millions of conscious choices will be required to replace old habits with new ones.  This is the essence behind the need for daily spiritual practice.  We have many bad habits of our sleep-walking to overcome.  However, for all the noise I believe some elements of Truth around meditation have managed to make it through.  And God knows I've put enough in the way in the past.

At the heart of what I have heard is a realization about what it is to be alive.  Within me there is a force for good, that is steeped in Light, joy, peace and a profound sense of mystery.  The more aware I become of the mysteries of life the more I realize that I don't know.  Yesterday I also Tweeted that, "any path I take to Truth will bring me to 'I don't know'.  Words, like any belief I have of my identity, will never be what I must become."  In short, I have come to believe that the more I surrender to the mysteries of life, the more faith I place in that sense of alive-ness within me, the more I realize how little I know.  I cannot explain why it is I know that at certain points within meditation I am one with everything.  I cannot explain how the Universe created everything that I know and have yet to discover, yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt.  It is a paradox to both know and to not know.  And within that paradox is faith.

Central to all of this has been a discovery of meditating upon a vision for my soul's purpose.  I have come to realize that I must ask myself what I want to be.  What do I want to experience and to realize in my life?  But asking what I want to be has always required faith.  I cannot count the number of times I have thought about wanting to be a metaphysical Minister or to change the world of business through the collaboration consulting that I do only to hear a part of me express, or feel, doubt.  And so, in the face of not knowing how it could be done I have taken off smaller bites.  I have opted to settle for smaller goals, smaller reflections of what I wanted to realize.  I have come back again and again to such visions.  I have worked hard at critically assessing my doubts and beliefs.  The spending of this spiritual coin has yielded a change in my conditions and I have in turn witnessed a manifestation of my vision.  Over time I have come to build my faith in how things work.  How they work is simple; God takes care of it all.  I once heard a great teacher remind me that no matter what difficiencies I have it will only take one rain shower to fill in all the ditches.

Not knowing when it will rain is insignificant when compared to my making a simple choice to examine the ditches of my psyche.  I might not be able to conjure rain from the sky but I can look at them and focus on filling them with love, joy, and a peaceful knowing that they I am willing for them to be filled.  For me meditation has been instrumental in my journey, and again and again I have turned to it only to realize how important it has been.  I am becoming clearer upon the meaning of meditation for me; it is the practice of looking at those ditches and seeing the gaps are God, that the rain will come and fill them, and that in time the rain will eventually cause the ditches themselves to change shape. 

But beyond all this is a simple realization.  Meditation is becoming a training ground in being alive.  I am coming to realize that when I meditate I must focus on the Truth that I AM, the Light and Source within me and everyone.  Each meditation is a moment where I stop and apply myself wholly to the purification of my heart.  Every deep inhalation is becoming a physical cue to deepen my faith in all my needs met, my trust in not knowing, and my desire to embody God in every thought, word and deed.  In essence, I am coming to realize that meditation is my cue to focus on Source.

I do not meditate to become anything or to attain a goal.  I meditate to become one with that which I meditate upon.  I meditate upon my being the drop in the ocean and know that it is the ocean.  I meditate upon my being the ray of light and know that it is the light.  Any sense of self, or ego as it is so commonly termed, must be embraced to the point of surrender.  If there is a goal in meditation it is growth, where my sense of self grows to a sense of One, where an instinct to plan, analyze and worry become an indescribable urge to merge my awareness with the Allness of the Creator. 

If you have read these words and are not certain what to do with them then I cannot help you; only you can decide for yourself what your journey must be.  But in the meantime, until you discover what meditation means to you, I would suggest that you start by focusing on your soul's purpose, what you want to be, mix in some honesty and humility, and then meditate to be what it is you are meditating upon.  Close your eyes and try to imagine Infinity.  Be awed by it.  Imagine yourself a ray of light within the Great Light.  As you do so, merge your sense of soul's purpose with this awe-inspiring sense of that which is beyond the beyond, and pay homage to it.

Spirituality and Social Media

I was sent a link to a USA Today article about Pastors flocking to Facebook.  This article came as no surprise to me.  After all, I've been using this blog, Facebook and Twitter as a Practitioner.  However, elements of this article did stand out and inspired this blog.

"Social media use hasn't won universal blessings from religious leaders. Last month, a New Jersey minister called Facebook a marriage killer. A group of New York rabbis blogged about whether people should "fast from Facebook" during Passover. And last year, Pope Benedict XVI warned Roman Catholics not to allow virtual connections to overshadow real ones."

There are a few points that come to mind as I read this.  Firstly, Facebook is not a marriage killer.  Facebook is a way to connect with friends.  If a marriage is already at risk, then Facebook will make it easier to connect with others.  But if a marriage is already suffering from emotional connection and intimacy then Facebook will not be the cause of the end of the marriage.  I would much rather look at cause than symptom.  But then as I prepare to enter Ministerial training such comments help me to clarify my own vision for Ministry.

The idea of 'fasting from facebook' is actually quite interesting.  The key though I think is to be clear about why you've chosen to fast in the first place.  If this is about separating oneself from the attachment from Facebook or blogging (such as I have just done for a couple of weeks) as a part of showing an attachment whatfor, then I think there is value in that. 

And as for the Pope's comment, I think there's merit to human and real life connection.  But I think the comment is a bit of a glossary.  It provides a snapshot into an idea that is much more complex than how it's presented.  Do you honestly think that people will choose sending you a facebook message when they're face to face with you?  Of course not.  Is it possible that I might be motivated to go out less often because I connect with you on Facebook?  Maybe.  But then, sometimes it is nice to sit in the comfort of your own home and engage with friends on your own terms.  Don't feel in the mood for chatting?  Then review your inbox at your own pace.  However, the real benefit of Facebook is that it actually provides a way to build relationships with your real life friends because it offers a chance to build on that real life bond.  In addition, it also provides opportunities to connect with friends of friends. 

But beyond all this is an unshakable reality; humans crave relationship.  I have come to believe that a central reason for this is that relationships provide us a mirror for our journey.  Our friends and experiences with them provide us with awareness and fulfillment, and a chance to evolve in ways we could not do so alone.

I really did appreciate the example about a single mother posting a thank-you comment.  The pastor's response was great and an excellent example of my earlier point; Facebook offers an opportunity to connect away from real life meetings and to build on the relationship overall.  And in my opinion those spiritual leaders that talk about connecting with younger community members really are getting the idea.

I am glad to say that the Centres for Spiritual Living already operate a very democratic way.  The Religion I've brought into is all about suggesting ways in 'how' one might think and leaves the 'what to think' to the individual (and I'd have it no other way).  And the upcoming merger of the International and United Centres for Spiritual Living excites me on so many levels.  Not only is this a reverse of the trend of religious organizations splitting, but more importantly the definition of member communities (Centres and the like) is being relaxed to allow the inclusion of virtual, or on-line, Centres.  Dr. Kenn Gordon, the current President of the ICSL really gets the potential of the Internet and spiritual community. 

My vision around spirituality, and my Ministerial vision, and the Internet has evolved over the past 5 years or so.  I won't be surprised to reflect on this post in 5 years time and smile at how much it has evolved since now.  But regardless of what technology offers, and how it influences the human dynamic, it is still an expression of form.  It is the consciousness of the people behind the form (the technology and tools) that matters most.  Personally, I don't self-censor my posts based on who might read them.  I look to Social Media as a mirror.  If my comments, tweets and blog posts are depressing that's probably a reflection of where I am at.  And when you think about it, aren't your friends also a mirror?

Acknowledgement

This past Monday I went through the final step of my journey toward becoming a Licensed Practitioner with the International Centres for Spiritual Living.  After some 6 years of study and in particular the past 2 years as a result of Practitioner training I am now a submission of paperwork away from this milestone.  In turn, next year I plan on entering into Ministerial studies.

And yet for as much as this milestone might have brought me delight I have spent the past week in contemplation.  I did not rush to blog about the success.  At first I was not clear on this.  I did post a tweet and an update to my Facebook account.  I was struck by two sides to this experience.  On one side many friends offered me lovely comments and congratulations.  I remarked upon this to my wife and she offered me deep wisdom.  She spoke that for as much as I might have spent many hours posting blogs and tweets, many of such words shared were more about an ideal than about me.  The news of my passing the oral panel was a real story about me.  This real side of me is something that others can relate to, and in turn respond to.  The flood of comments compared to any other tweet or blog was significant.  I do from time to time get a comment or an email about the inspiration that my words will sometimes provide.  But in truth as I consider the deep wisdom shared with me I realized that something was shifting within.

I am, I confess, evaluating the motive behind my blogs and tweets.  Back in January 2009 when I started this blog as a way of committing to Journalling on my Practitioner training I was telling myself that my entries were a form of spiritual practice.  However, nearly 2 years and close to 200 blog posts later I believe that an examination of motives is well overdue.  I realized that over time I had sometimes blogged because I felt that there would be expectation from others that I blogged.  And then as is often the case I found my period of reflection interrupted by a comment around acknowledgement.  The central idea is that if we seek to put ourselves out 'there' we must be mindful of whether we are actually seeking acknowledgement.  And if we are seeking acknowledgement from others there is this subtle sense of separation that comes from forgetting that the truest acknowledgement is not to be found from outside of ourselves.

I thought about this and came to a conclusion.  I do not believe I have shifted into blogging with this desire as the central driving force.  But I will confess that this experience has awakened in me a realization of the deep work I have to do.  I do not need to check the site statistics to see who visits this blog.  And yet I have been.  I do not need to be concerned if one or one thousand people come in a month, a week, or a day.  In fact, if we do things with the motive of inspiring consciousness it should be because we have the deepest faith that God is in all.  And the risk of seeking to write blogs with such eloquence will do little for me if through my words I create an artificial barrier to who I really am.

I have a longing and a deep yearning to live in awareness.  I think that in subtle ways I have become to distracted to this.  The road to Practitioner is an allure in this regard.  It is a path that focuses on training you to enter into service to others.  And yet for this, or the path of Ministry, all work must start with the self.  I realized that the deepest work I have yet to do is to find myself in such a state that I am inspired and transformed in the ways of knowing Love.  In such a state of awareness Practitioner consciousness and Minstry will effortlessly follow.

And so, for as much as I share this good news with you, I do want you to know that I am going through a form of transformation.  I may blog less frequently, or more. I may tweet less frequently, or more.  I will be deleting the site monitor after this blog and most certainly not checking on the number of followers on Twitter.  But whatever I do, I shall be connecting to a deep and abiding knowing that in the One Mind I have perfect acknowledgement.  Any other form of acknowledgement is a shadow that pales under this Light of Truth.  This is who and where I am, and is an expression of intimacy.  I am allowing you to see into me through these blogs.  And whatever you may see there know that I am focused on the deep work I must do.  If such sharing should inspire you, then I shall be humbled, but my need to be acknowledged by you will be silent. 

That is good work indeed.  Perhaps I am ready to be a Licensed Practitioner after all.  Know the Flow as you go, brothers and sisters in Light.

The Dalai Lama Tweets. How Cool is That?

Have you heard of Twitter?  No?  Well, I've got to tell you that it is actually a profound tool for spiritual practice.  Don't believe me?  Well, did you know the the Dalai Lama tweets?  That's right.  He tweets as @DalaiLama and I love that pretty much every day he tweets a nugget of consciousness.

Today I got a tweet from the His Holiness the Dalai Lama that read as follows:

"I am convinced that everyone can develop a good heart and a sense of universal responsibility with or without religion."

Given the consciousness of this living avatar I'm never surprised by the awareness that he brings to his tweets.  But his tweet today really jumped out at me.  As I got to the word 'religion' a word jumped into my mind - Attachment.  And then, as is often the case in such moments, I shifted into contemplation mode.  The conversation in my head went thus:

"Oh that's interesting, I wonder why the word 'attachment' surfaced in that moment?"


"Well, it surfaced when I got to the word 'religion'"


"Ooooo...interesting. Perhaps these words are associating themselves because the DL is trying to say that the outcomes associated with religion (acting with a good heart and maintaining a constant state of universal responsibility) don't require religion? It feels like an inner message is that religion is just a path, a vehicle, that helps us to develop and refine such a state?"

And then I paused.  At that point the conversation shifted to the level of feelings and words that would be harder to capture in writing.  But in short, the point that I wanted to make with this blog, and that was inspired by HHDL, is that religion is as slippery slope as anything else that can lead us to attachment.  What do I mean by that? 

Anything, any practice, or any belief system that we have that distracts us from allowing the Divine to shine through us warrants mindfulness.  And as I started to think about this I was inspired to look at the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti:

"Religion is the frozen thought of man out of which they build temples."

"All ideologies are idiotic, whether religious or political, for it is conceptual thinking, the conceptual word, which has so unfortunately divided man."

"I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect."

Granted, Krishnamurti and the Dalai Lama are examples of individuals who made the decision very early on to awaken.  And I acknowledge that when Krishnamurti talks about a 'pathless land' he is speaking about an ideal.  For many of us religion is a wonderful path that can allow, supports, and empower us to expand the knowing of success, abundance and love in our lives every day.  But the message within these words, inspired by Twitter, is that if religion becomes a path that you insist is the only way then you have become attached.  And in attachment you cannot find liberation. 

The Dalai Lama's genius in this morning's Tweet was many-fold.  However, a couple of things are clear to me.  I agree that the path to Truth is littered with good hearts and universal responsibility.  Our conceptual thoughts about our religion are only worthy if such thoughts are allowed to empower acceptance and loving debate.  And the path we each take is a moving, fluid set of experiences all designed to stimulate us into remembering why we are here.  If we find ourselves frozen upon the glacier of dogma and theology the attachment is as self-defeating as harming another.

The Dalai Lama Tweets!  I hope that in reading this blog you now have an appreciation of how a technology such as Twitter can be a tool to support spiritual practice.  His tweet inspired me to write this blog, and given that you've gotten to this point in my post, his tweet has also inspired you in spiritual contemplation.  How cool is that?

Vipassana Meditation and Effortlessness

Last Friday I applied to go on the Vipassana Meditation course in BC with the Vipassana Foundation from January 19th-30th (http://www.dhamma.org/).  This morning I received a response indicating that they are processing my application.  Assuming that it is meant to be I shall be on retreat for the second half of January, 2011.

I am looking forward to this meditation course with a deep sense of knowing, allowing, love, peace, and joy.  From what I have heard and read this will be a profound experience and opportunity to deepen my understanding of meditation, and to immerse myself in the deepest form of observation.  The idea of meditating for 10 days in silence, without making eye contact, and not moving for hours at a time are physical elements that I know I am ready for.  And from an even deeper perspective I know that this is a very powerful opportunity for me.  I will confess that there was a part of me that upon reviewing the requirements and expectations did pause.  But the sense of knowing around this was so deep that I brushed this thought aside within seconds.

Over the past 9 months I have been leading a meditation every night in Second Life. In addition, I have had the chance to support the teaching of a meditation course at the Centre for Spiritual Living, Edmonton. I know that this course is coming at the perfect time. Conditions in my life have made way for this opening in an effortless fashion thus far.  And as someone who leads meditation every day the idea of deepening my knowledge around the spiritual practice of meditation with others who have dedicated their lives to this service strikes me as Divinely right.

I have been impressed with the Visassana Foundation's website.  The whole process so far has been effortless, and I think it is a powerful statement that the organizers would offer such a course on a donation basis.  But 'effortless' is a word that seems to keep cropping up in my consciousness of late.

Taking a step back I am reminded of an axiom I live by; often, when things are meant to be, and we are truly ready, events and conditions will unfold effortlessly and with grace.  This is not to say that everything will unfold effortlessly all of the time, but the past couple of days have reminded me of this once again.  In Second Life we have been meditating at the same location since the group's inception.  However, upon logging in on Sunday night I was struck by the desire to change locations for the meditation circle.  And heeding this inner pull I sent out a message to a friend who is involved with a group that owns and maintains a number of sims (a sim is a virtual space in Second Life, often in the form of an island).  I asked if I could move the meditation circle to one of their sims.  The answer was an immediate yes, and upon arriving last night I was struck by the beautiful words and presence of my our new hosts.  When something is so effortless one cannot help but stand back and simply allow.  How beautiful is that!

Know the Flow as you go, brothers and sisters in light.

Being and Repression

I was speaking with a friend yesterday over tea and he mentioned an observation he had had during a retreat he had been on.  He spoke about the idea of repression, and that he believed that in many cases those walking the spiritual path had listened to the guru or the teacher, who had said 'do not be angry or sad' and had decided to repress this.  In time, this might lead to depression or some form of imbalance.

As I contemplate this I think that the guru's words are right but the manner in which the words have been interpreted is off.  At least, this contemplation is a work in progress and what I understand in this moment.  It occurs to me that "do not be angry" must be examined.  If your spiritual teacher said that to you what would you do?

Perhaps you might hear it and figure, I must not be angry.  You might respond by thinking that you should never get angry, that you should not lose your temper.  This might sound like a good idea.  But it is not liberating.  As the Buddha advised we must neither cling nor deny.  We must take the middle path.  Extending this idea to this topic that would mean that setting an intent to never get angry is a denial.  You would in effect be pushing anger away.

And this would apply to fear.  This would apply to a physical reaction where the body reacts by producing adrenelin.  This in turn might cause physical shaking.  Would it be of value to berate yourself for feeling fear or anger, or for the fact that your body produced chemicals to heighten your awareness? 

I think what the key word is BE.  Do not BE angry.  Do you not lose yourself to it.  Observe the anger.  Say, 'oh look at that, I am angry.'  Ideally you would be an obsever of the and sit with the emotion until it had left of its own accord.  You would observe the body, its reactions, sensations, as well as your emotions, feelings, and other responses in your mind.  As a wise man once said, it is well to acknowledge the anger and to not collapse into it. 

Being on the spiritual journey is key.  Repression is a lost opportunity to observe.  Practicing being with your emotional reactions and feelings is an opportunity to come to know yourself better.  I shall share a final story.  Tonight I was stopped by the police whilst driving.  The reason, when I turned at a turning light I shifted into the right lane instead of the left most lane.  He didn't give me a ticket, but merely said that everyone does it and they want to educate people.  As I contemplate this event a few things occur.  For one thing I remember a while before turning on another turn during an orange turning light.  I think they spotted me then and wanted to pull me over.  I think that he was looking for a reason and all he had was that flimsy excuse.  I recall feeling adrenalin and my hands shaking as I pulled my license out.  I was less aware in that moment.  As I look back a part of me knows that I am still barely a beginner on this journey.  I am working on waking up.  But one thing is for sure, if I was posting about disappointed I am in myself and that I should focus on not having shaking hands in the future, or experiencing adrenelin working through my system I would be missing something.  I might miss that at some level this experience was God in action.  The insight of the orange light tells me that had I slowed down the cop would not have noticed me and then followed me for 10 minutes until he found his flimsy excuse.  As I look back I knew he was going to pull me over and was waiting.  I even chose the gas station to pull over at to offer him the option to continue on.  But in that turn I broke a rule and he had what he needed.

And do you notice the irony?  In subtle and small ways I was asleep.  I was focused on him, not clearing my mind.  I was focused on what he would do, how I should drive.  When stopped, I was focused on my shaking hands.  I didn't have fear, but as I look back I know I am only just beginning the process of waking up.  I celebrate this experience.  And as I contemplated this later I was inspired by thoughts that led to this blog.  But thankfully, at no point have I denied what I should be, or doing.  I recognize that I simply need to be the observer.  Repression is not being.

Meditation Stories

I've been meaning to write this blog for nearly a week now.  But with how things have been moving it's simply not happened.  The story I really wanted to share concerned sitting in an airport lounge waiting to board the plane.  I happened to be meditating as I often do when things are quiet when my 3 and a half year old daughter obviously felt the need to engage with daddy.  Noticing that my eyes were closed she said, "Daddy, stop meditating!"  Of course, I immediately stopped and enjoyed some time with her before we eventually got onto the plane.

But really stood out for me, above and beyond how adorable that experience was, was that my three year old daughter not only knows the word meditation but can recognize it.  I was certainly never exposed to such ideas as a child and I get the feeling that as the population that's beginning to awake starts to expand that more and more children are going to grow up with such examples.  And in turn this just gets me to thinking about the unfolding consciousness that is ever expanding.  When people try and tell me that things are getting worse I simply cannot agree with them.  I believe this is a very exciting time to be alive.  I also look forward to the younger generations coming into their own.

On the topic of meditation I did have an amazing experience to also share.  The Centre for Spiritual Living, Edmonton, had a Board retreat yesterday.  My being involved stems back to the Circle of Love.  At the retreat I'd happened to mention to Patrick Cameron that I was applying to be a volunteer instructor with the Board Development Program in Alberta (and I have an interview this Wednesday).  This is an excellent opportunity to serve non-profit boards in delivering best practices in governance.  When he heard this he asked me if I'd like to observe the upcoming Board retreat.  I agreed, but on the condition that I could simply observe and hold the space as a Practitioner.

Well, that day was yesterday.  I arrived at 9am, pulled up a chair at the back of the room, and then spent the day in meditation and prayer.  I cannot stress how beautiful the experience was.  Ironically, a couple of years ago I had served on the board as Vice President but had stepped back for a few reasons.  Firstly, I was beginning my Practitioner studies and wanted to focus.  I also felt that the board experience and how it was functioning was off for me.  In short, I don't believe I was ready for the role. 

Yesterday though I got to sit in silence.  In fact, even when questions came up about the past, that I could have answered, I remained silent.  I spent the day focusing on the Divine within everyone present expressing itself.  At many points during the day I was entranced by the expression and explosion of Spirit in the room, marvelling at the gifts and talents being revealed.  A few times my mind did wander, but in 5-10 seconds I found myself pulling myself back to empty mind.  I also felt my heart filled, as if as Rumi put it, I was looking through the eyes of the heart.

As I think on this 7 hour meditation experience I was truly gifted to have been in such service.  I can still feel the echo of yesterday and would enter into such service again in a heartbeat.  As I compare the experience of being on the board and being a Practitioner for the board the latter is undoubtedly the more profound experience.

Acceptance and BS

Last night's meditation was followed up with a great series of questions and discussion.  One of the words that kept coming up was the idea of acceptance.  And wouldn't you know it - when I am busy contemplating an idea something lands in my lap to stoke the flames of consideration and empower the refinement of the idea. 

The idea of acceptance is central to the idea of 'interfaith'.  As a concept acceptance might be regarded as difficult to some.  This might be because truly accepting the idea of interfaith, as the Dalai Lama would suggest, calls upon one to evaluate their relationship with one's own religion. But what is religion?  http://www.dictionary.com/ says that religion is:

"a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion."

So religion is about beliefs and practices then?  I found this course of enquiry interesting.  As someone who is preparing to enter into Ministerial studies I am clear about my beliefs in this moment and look to my spiritual practices as a key foundation of my life.  And yet as was pointed out by a participant last night even attachment to our beliefs has the potential to lead to suffering.  What if the Dalai Lama is indeed correct in saying that no one religion can meet all of humanity's needs?  Or more interestingly, what if the point of religion is to help us find and then embody our own spiritual yearning?  And what might I mean by this?

More and more each day I am reminded that the spiritual path is a truly individual one.  Spirituality for me is about becoming love in action.  And I am not talking about romantic love.  I am talking about deep spiritual love.  The kind of love that sits and has tea with other words like kindness.  The kind of love that inspires me to get up in the morning, do my yoga, and as my forehead is touched to the ground to say, "may I be allowed to serve this day." 

In my relatively short life I have also come to realize that my unique journey has brought me to where I am today.  I would have it no other way, nor do I practice regret.  I celebrate that I am continually evolving my ideas of understanding my Belief System (or BS for short).  All of the challenges I have encountered have deepened and stretched me.  I have never been given more than I can handle.  And as I look to my life I am filled with gratitude for who I am today.  I spend as many moments focusing on love and acceptance as I can.  Compassion and a sense of overflowing love for all that I see fills my days.  If I took any any experiences of the past would I be where I am now?  Would I benefit from Divine subtraction?  I cannot know.  Perhaps only the Infinite consciousness of the Divine can know that.

A belief I have then is that any effort to convince another of what they should, or should not, believe in is flawed.  No individual person, or organization has an infinite consciousness.  No one person, Minister, Rabbi, or Guru can know what is best for you. Only you can discover what your truth is to you. 

Another question that was asked centered around the idea of having the urge to convince others about the Belief System (or BS) that you have that has you so excited.  But to this I urge you seek silence before words.  So what if others are asleep?  What does it matter to you?  I once read that the urge to convince another about why your BS is so amazing is really a projection of your own insecurities about the beliefs you live and carry.  Certainly, I am here blogging about my beliefs, but I have no expectations of you regarding what I write.  In fact, I wholeheartedly invite you, as Don Miguel Ruiz would suggest, to not believe a word that I say.  Every night when I start the meditation circle with an affirmative prayer I encourage participants to accept what resonates as truth and let all other words pass them by.

Acceptance is tied very closely to compassion.  And it might be debated that the spirit of compassion forms the ethical heart of all religions.  I think that the starting point for those who follow a set of beliefs and practices, and prescribe to religion, is to respect the right of others to hold their own beliefs.  And in turn, I think a more refined level of awareness is to celebrate that others have come to where they are, and are striving to live the spirit of compassion in their lives.  As I prepare for Ministerial studies you can bet that this will be a core element of the platform upon which I stand.

I really would have it no other way.  I am seeing less bad in the world, mainly because there is less bad in me.  More and more each day I come to recognize the changable nature of this world we live in and the eternal nature of the Infinite Consciousness I like to call God.  What if all the stuff you've been labelling as bad is actually God expanding an awareness of itself?  What if the challenges, trials, and objectionable content of life that you label as bad is actually the fuel of an expanding awareness?  If anything, the clearer I become about my spirituality the more I celebrate that I had to make some really interesting choices while sleepwalking to be who I am today. 

Or put more simply, has anyone ever really managed to change your belief system because of something they said, or did to you?  I would suggest that if you looked back on your life that you might come to conclude, as I have, that the true shifts in my BS came because I came to a realization for myself.  Certainly, I may have heard an intellectual idea, or have been inspired by the feeling an event or person evoked.  But in the end, my choice to change who I am was always my choice.  And my choices have always been made upon the foundation of who I was at that point.  Why would I want to take that from you as you live your life?

No, I would have it no other way.  And if anything, should an individual, organization, religion, or event, trigger discomfort and the reaction to resist (not accept) within me, then I see that as an opportunity for contemplation.  What part of my BS is offending my Divine self?

Infinite Tide

I have spent a couple of days contemplating what the Circle of Love meant to me.  In truth words cannot capture what transpired.  Yet, I did write a poem.  Perhaps this will serve to convey a little of what I experienced and experience still.

Infinite Tide
I looked into the heart of love,
And You gazed back at me.
Like a seeker, drunken, devoted,
We were beyond that sparkling sea.

Amongst the lines of blue mountains,
Was the thirst that I had brought.
Often I would achingly know,
That it was You that I sought.

Yet You pour this Oneness through me,
Me, lover's goblet to be seized.
Overflowing awe and rhapsody,
Tumbling tears amidst Your breeze.

I see You, everywhere now,
Through heart cracked open wide.
You, my sea, those eyes,
Us, riding Infinite tide.

The Circle of Love (Part 1)

Today I returned from spiritual retreat at the Circle of Love Gathering 2010.  Words cannot describe such an event.  However, I feel inspired to throw words onto the screen just in case they manage to evoke a pale shadow of what was, and what is.

I am still trying to place the pieces in my mind.  The many beautiful servants of the Divine, the teachers, the structured program, the content, the sharing, the atmosphere, the beauty...but most of all, the love.  There was a spectrum of love and in the circle we entered there was indeed much of the deepest sharing through the heart.

As you might know I actively tweet as @KnowTheFlow.  I kept my iPhone with me and would tweet as something came up that needed to be captured.  This was a wonderful opportunity to broadcast nuggets and at this point provides a sweet way to share these moments.  Below are the Tweets I made during the retreat.  Each came to me through a mixture of inspiration and insight.  But above all, the more I opened to spiritual love the clearer my sight became.  As Rumi would say, these tweets were seen through the eyes of the heart:

• As I surrendered, like a wave to the ocean and a leaf to the wind, I could feel my heartbeat beating me.
• As I show up in silence and immerse myself in the moment I realize that the greatest service is to quietly be the Truth of who I am.
• Love is this annihilating force that devours itself. You can be afraid or you can surrender knowing the source of that love.
• What if we are not here to change the world? What if the world is here to change us?
• Today is that day of realizing that presence, of making that presence real.
• I bring my noble, great need to the Beloved, to the One that loves to satisfy that need.
• If you want to know God fall in live with we.
• I am content, nay delighted, to be the shade of the tree of love.
• Spirit loves the self. It's only through the self that it can be expressed.
• What has to die was never real anyway.
• We are here to express and build our knowledge of spiritual love.
• Entwined within acceptance and openness is that which created the need within us that desires to satisfy our yearning need.
• Without disappointment how could we treasure ecstasy?
• I don't engage in conflict. I stand in my power (of spiritual love)
• We don't create the effects on our life, but we participate in the cause.

I am inspired to call out two tweets in particular though.  I have had a purpose statement that captures why I am alive.  It is central to my devotion to service.  I made a subtle change, replacing 'consciousness' to 'knowing love' at the end.  It now reads:

• My purpose is to inspire and support the transformation of knowing Love.

Any progress to simplify an understanding always feels closer to the Divine.  And yet the next tweet also deserves a mention.  I had forgotten this affirmation but was reminded of it during a conversation.  I now speak this when I am in child's pose during my morning meditation.  There is something powerful in placing your forehead upon the floor in surrender and saying, "May I be allowed to be of service this day."

And now I must close this post with a promise to complete and present a poem that has begun to write itself.  I shall share this in part 2.

Acceptance and Being

Last night at the daily meditation in Second Life I had a most wonderful experience.  What was so wonderful, you might ask?  Well, I realized how much acceptance is playing a part of my perspective and how clear I am on the Divine being through everyone. 

After the invocation (a brief affirmative prayer designed to set the intention for sacred space for the meditation) a question was posed by a newcomer.  "What is the goal of meditation?" He asked.  I started by thanking him for the most excellent question.  I then responded along the lines that for me the goal of meditation is learning how to think.  Following my expanding upon the answer and I was asked another question.

"How do you deal with the forces coming to you?" He asked again.  I explained that I believe that God is Omnipresent, in, as, and through every thing, every event, and every one.  Therefore, I do not believe that any forces come at me or to me.  I believe that God is being through me, through the centre of my being, and as a consequence I have the creative potential of God within.  And it is only my thinking, my feelings, old thought-patterns, beliefs and attitudes that get in the way of this potential.

As you might imagine, by this point, I was enjoying some great questions and the opportunity to contemplate some thoughtful questions.  However, that previous question had waved a flag in my mind.  I had a sense that there was a motive in the mind of the questioner that was confirmed by the next question.

"Jesus said in John 14:6, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He said.  This comment was clearly a shift from question to declaration.  And to this I replied that whilst I view Jesus as a Master teacher, ranking him alongside the other great masters and prophets such as Buddha and Muhammed, I do not believe I need a mediator to commune with God.  Whilst I honour and accept all the beautiful paths to devotion this is not my path.  I closed my response by sharing that whilst we had different belief systems and are traveling by different paths I believe we are headed toward the same destination.

In the meantime the rest of the group had been silent.  But following this last comment someone then responded with a quote from Matthew 5:8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."  This was an interesting counter-reference since it implies that one need only be pure of heart to see God, which obviously provides a striking contrast to John 14:6.

At this point we went into meditation and in spite of inviting the visitor to stay and join us in community after the meditation they left.  I offered them blessings and entered into spaciousness.

Upon reflection I celebrate this event.  I felt, and feel, a complete sense of love for this visitor.  At first I contemplated memorizing Matthew 5:8 for such conversations in the future.  But then I had a realization.  What is the point of debating theology?  The idea of trying to convince someone of a theological standpoint is not what I feel drawn too.  I feel drawn to supporting others convince themselves.  If our visitor is in love with Jesus and is focusing on inspiring and supporting the transformation of consciousness who am I to get in the way of that in any fashion?  And besides, God isn't interested in my theology, rather in the love, acceptance and compassion I fill my heart and my life with.

Truly he is blessed by God being through him.  But then so am I, as is everyone for that matter.  I feel a deep sense of peace and joy around this conversation, as I did last night.  I celebrate my acceptance of all paths.  I celebrate that God is being through me.  I celebrate that perhaps a year or two ago I wouldn't have held such love in my heart as I did last night when speaking with him. 

Celebration is a spiritual practice.  If you notice you have made progress toward your vision in a way that brings you peace and joy, then take the time to celebrate this, just as I am in this blog posting.

I celebrate that the path that I follow does not ask me to go forth and "make disciples of all nations."  I am coming to realize that my gospel in this regard is to, "go forth and live in love and acceptance."  If others feel drawn to ask me why I am so peaceful I shall share the story of my path with them.  And if they feel drawn to walk with me for a while I shall celebrate.  And if not, then with acceptance in my heart I will offer them blessings and know that ultimately their destination is as beautiful as mine.

Transition

It has been a while since I was inspired to write a poem.  But this one flowed after a meditation and a deep moment of peace.

Know the Flow as you go, my brothers and sisters and in light.


Transition
I trust that you will remember,
how Divine you really are.
As you transition to the fullness,
beyond the seas, the lands, the stars.

Did you live each moment,
being the change you wished to see?
Return to Oneness is delightful.
I am sure you would agree.

The thought of transition stirs me.
Not stirring saddened heart.
I know not to truly mourn you.
for we shall never be apart.

Yet regardless of who you tried to be,
I cannot help but shed these tears,
For the beauty of transition has,
meaning through all reflected spheres.

Connection and Service

This morning I had the pleasure to be in service with the Practitoner Team at the Centre for Spiritual Living, Edmonton.  I have to confess that I love arriving at 9am and beginning the setup for meditation.  By the time 9.30 am comes I feel beautifully aligned and ready to serve. 

For this morning I had an intuition to introduce the mantra I blogged about yesterday.  I wrote the phonetic words on the white board and then proceeded to spend a minute or two explaining about meditation and mantras in general.  After that I invited them to either use the Buddhist mantra or to say God Is, or I am that I am.  This felt right as it offered people an option depending on where they were.

However, in the interests of it being a 15 minute meditation and that mantras are not normally done in this setting I invited them to focus on this mantra mentallly before starting the meditation with one round of chanting this mantra out loud.

Specific feedback was not needed but I felt very connected after that meditation.  The exchanged glances were of peace and joy, and I was left with the sense that we had all been moved. 

After that the service was a delightful blur of awareness and peace.  My Practitioner-Intern friend who had recently been in hospital (and for whom I'd been visiting and offering affirmative prayers for) had sent a testimonial letter to the Practitioner team, which Reverend Patrick then read in both services.  I have to say that I cried as he read her letter.  There was something so very real.  Perhaps it was my state of mind, perhaps it was the simplicity of a story of healing where someone who, according to the surgeon, was not supposed to live through this experience?  But then I don't think that knowing the answer to this question is what matters. 

Today I was reminded of what beautiful connection and service are.  I touched in with the Divine today and I will confess the day has been a wondrous morphing of smiles, tears, and mantras.  Awakening is truly a delight.

My New Favourite Meditation

Over the couple of weeks I've been leading a series of meditations through Second Life and focusing on sharing thoughts about different practices and approaches.  Over the past few years I've enjoyed many meditations but this one was quite exceptional.  I can still feel the resonance and the vibration through my body.

Not only will I be including this meditation in my 'heavy rotation' list but I thought I'd come and blog about it with you.  It is a Buddhist mantra that goes, "Gate Gate Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha"  It is pronounced:

GAH-TAY GAH-TAY PAH-RAH GAH-TAY PAH-RAH-SAHM GAH-TAY BOW-DEE SWAH-HAH

The meanting is, "Beyond, Beyond, the Great Beyond, Beyond that Beyond, to Thee Homage."

I am not certain why I had waited all this time to lead a mantra meditation but I am delighted that I did.  There is something very special and yet I am thankful to the teachers in the books I've been reading of late for introducing me to this particular meditation practice.

Know the Flow as you go, brothers and sisters in Light.

Love Simply Is

Last night I had the joy to start supporting the Meditation is more than you Think class at the Centre for Spiritual Living, Edmonton.  As you can imagine after spending those three hours in a meditative state or discussing meditation that by the time I came to lead the daily meditation in Second Life that I was feeling very inspired.  But what struck me was the bearing of those I interacted with.  I witnessed much courage and authenticity last night and I felt humbled by it.

At one point I recall saying the following: Fear is where love got forgotten.  A question had been asked by a participant about thinking they had moved past fear and yet had seen fear within them during the meditation. 

Fear, like the ego, will always be a part of the human experience.  Ego has its place.  It is the mediator between the physical and the spiritual world, it is the analyst, and the editor.  In the right context it can bring me value, so long as I do not collapse into it.  I have for some time now taken the stance that I seek to integrate my ego, not deny it.  I honour my ego.  After all, if God is expressing through all then God definitely had something in mind when creating ego.  If I can assume God knows what they are doing, then surely this is a good basis upon which to accept ego whilst remaining aware of it. 

And so it is with fear.  Fear has its uses.  If I am caught in a burning house fear will activate adrenalin and provide me with enhancements to my physical body so that I can seek survival.  Fear is healthy so long as I am aware of it and do not collapse into it.  But much like the ego it is not so much the reaction of fear than the response to it that really counts.  If I collapse and lose myself within fear, then I have forgotten love. 

And with this still in my mind I felt inspired to tweet and post Fear is where love got forgotten to Facebook.  This post inspired a comment. What about the fear that love is being ignored?  The authenticity of this question struck me.  The one posing the question was obviously touched by the comment at some level and felt inspired to ask a meaningful question.  I cannot say that my response is the right answer, but it was my answer. 

Love does not need acknowledgement and so cannot be ignored. Love simply is. When we live in love we honour the most profound quality in the Universe. And so even if the person or event that is the target of an expression of our love should be ignorant of or ignore our expression this in no way invalidates that the love has been given, just like the clouds do not invalidate the sun. And yet love given with the expectation of acknowledgement is love with an attachment; and attachment leads to suffering. We should love regardless of our love being ignored, and tap into it in an unconditional form.

Yoga and a Journey Through Healing

I suddenly realized today that the past 3 months have been subtle, yet a change in my health has snuck up on me. 

Perhaps I should step back.  Probably around 6 months ago I had an urge to try Yoga out.  However, for one reason or another it just didn't seem to happen.  And then about 3 months ago, during a meditation, an idea came to me.  Why not go online and search out a nice, gentle Yoga routine? 

And so I did just that.  For the first couple of months I would do my gentle yoga routine (only 8 stretches by the way) before meditation.  And then about a month ago I started to get up at 5.30am and do some yoga as well as my morning meditation.  Not being one to settle for the easy stuff all the time I decided to take it up a notch.  Two days ago I looked up Sun Salutation.  Talk about shock to my system!  The past two days have been very gentle efforts to try and go through this set of poses.

Ultimately, I've enjoyed doing yoga as a solitary practice.  I am sure I could benefit from a teacher guiding me in my poses.  And yet, I also realized that my back pain is a thing of the past.  I can lean over to brush my teeth in the morning without a problem now.  In the past some mornings and such motion would result in pain and my needing to lean on the sink.  In fact, about 4 years ago my chiropractor diagnosed me with spinal degeneration.  Not only do I have 6 lumbar vertebrae (instead of the normal 5) but the they were starting to wear down, the bone becoming serrated and chewing down on nerve and ligament.  This would even result in locking of the back, not to mention excrutiating pain.  In fact, my back problems go back nearly two decades and my days of martial arts. 

The healing journey began on February 9th 2009.  At the time I was in Practitioner studies and was inspired to use the assignment to treat for a change in condition in my life as an opportunity to know perfect health for my back.  And after a couple of months my back had gotten better.  The severe locking stopped, and my need to visit the chiropractor greatly reduced.  In fact, in reviewing my visits to the chiropractor in the years leading to the middle of 2009 I would have an average of 1 visit per week.  Over the past 12 months that's dropped to one visit per month.  And now that I think about it, I have only been to see my chiropractor twice in the past four months.

The past 3 months and embracing yoga as a practice, have completed this journey through healing.  Obviously, I have released old beliefs, and am embracing a new vision for what health means to me.  I celebrate the days without pain, and with only the occasional moment of discomfort currently in my experience I look forward to continued perfect health, particularly around my back.  And there is no doubt in my mind that Yoga has played a part of this journey through healing that I have taken.

The Power of Love

Over the past few days a wonderful lesson has unfolded for me.  During the weekend I had been struck by a series of events that had challenged me to grow and to live in awareness.  And as is normal during my meditations in Second Life I try to relate an experience I have had, the Spiritual Principle that I've spotted, and how I've applied in life.  The goal of these sharings is to try and learn more about living spiritually and by exploring my transformation more deeply.

Well, unbeknowst to me (at the time) one of the people who had been in one of the aforementioned events had shown up at the meditation.  I had never intended to single them out but they came away from the experience feeling less than positive and had sent me a letter explaining what had happened for them. 

I wanted to share the reply I sent them.  After that I will share their reply (removing their name of course).  This letter was written after an experience where I had showed up with less than my very best, but I like to think showed up with love when it most mattered.

I love you, I am sorry, please forgive me, and thank you.

As I read your note and processed what happened I realized that the only thing for me to do is to look within. The Truth can only be found within. Any effort to explain why I reacted to your words and actions will distract me from Truth; but I can look to understand what beliefs I have and neutralize them with Spiritual Truth. Any effort to explain what I meant by the use of the word 'projection' is to focus on the past and to take me from the present work that I must do.

I had initially spent some considerable time writing a lengthy response. However, upon reflection I believe that what needs to be said is much simpler than that. I forgot two very important spiritual principles:
- do not take anything personally
- do not make assumptions

I managed to forget both of these spiritual principles. I do not regret what happened. I am grateful for the choices that both you and I made as they have served to bring me insight through experience. And in turn I hope that this letter, and the experience that we have shared, serves to support you in your journey. Relationship after all is an opportunity for awareness, fulfillment and healing.

I love you, I am sorry, please forgive me, and thank you.

Know the Flow as you go.

And when I logged in today here's the reply I got:

Hahahah! I have to laugh because your note was so awesome and came as such a relief

Your words made my heart sing, "There's hope in the world yet for more compassion, real relationship and authentic community".

I value your response very highly. As Abraham says, we are all allowed to comment on the affect others have on us when they attempt to create their reality in the proximity of our experience. It would be my dream to see this coming to fruition in Second Life ... and moreso that we begin to be masters of *beneficial effects upon one another.

But honestly, reading the words " I love you" were the most soothing balm I could ever hope to read and worth more than a thousand Lindens. It helped unlock love as my response to you as well... and THAT's the type of attitude I want to pay forward. And I will.. thanks to you.
: )

In Inspiration and Spirit and with Love

I celebrate this experience.  What a wondrous connection and learning I have had.  And what a gift this person gave me.  Thank God I managed to set my ego aside.

Touching the Heart

Last night I was touched in a big way, by a couple of little things.  As you may know I facilitate a meditation circle every night in Second Life. 

One of the regular participants, Elizabeth, had sent out a message to another Second Life group letting them know about the meditation circle.  But what struck me was what was in the message.  In short, she wrote that she was enjoying seeing that people who had been showing up to do the work and regularly practicing meditation were seeing transformation in their lives. 

When you set an intent to go into service, to inspire and support the transformation of consciousness, there is nothing quite like hearing the stories of the transformation people are going through to crack your heart open.  And so you can imagine my joy when as we started another regular participant shared her story of the past week or so.  Not only had she manifested abundance in her life to meet a critical financial need, but she spoke about the deep realization she has been having.  She explained that the deep challenges of the past few days had really taught her about the joy of living in the present and recognizing fear as thoughts.  She was truly learning, she said, for the first time in her life that fear is not real, it is an illusion conjured by our thoughts and hidden beliefs.  Her story spoke not only of the work she has done but the realization she is having, and the way in which her life is being transformed.

Last night both these friends touched my heart.  I have been showing up every night at 9.30pm, since February 8th, 2010, to lead a meditation with people through the Internet.  Some might wonder how this works?  Some have wondered if meditating with others through the Internet isn't a little strange (it is different, but connecting at the spiritual level doesn't require time and space to happen; Spirit is in the now).  And others have celebrated the Internet being used in such a way.  I have always said that I would show up to meditate alone, regardless of who else shows up (although I realized last night that in over 200 sessions that there have always been others choosing to show up and meditate).  And those that show up are doing amazing work.  I have watched them change their lives, and start stepping into an amazing consciousness.  It is impossible to put into words the impact to see people make these changes for themselves.  And it is very humbling to witness God in action.  I'm just someone who shows up holding consciousness for the transformation of consciousness, and yet how blessed am I to be able to witness the work being done!

But the greatest blessing of all?  Becoming clearer every day of my vision to live in ministry.  And it has already begun.

Know the Flow as you go, my brothers and sisters in light.

Some of the Pleasant Stuff

And so, at the end of the day, following my previous blog I found myself in a meeting with a client.  Not only has more work showed up instantly, but more importantly, I have begun a period of transformation.

I am not clear on the 'how', but that is good.  I am starting a process of visioning.  It has been a while since I last did a visioning for myself and I am drawn to feel that this is a good time to do so.  I do celebrate what happened to me that day.  Not only did I learn to let some old beliefs and ideas go, but I have become just a little clearer about how to live in surrender. 

God is in All, Especially the Unpleasant Stuff

I am writing this having experienced a series of interesting events.  A couple of weeks ago I had asked for a sign regarding what I should do regarding my business.  Over the past couple of days a situation went south on my current business engagement.  In fact, it seems the Universe executed a pincer maneuver on my plans.  On one hand, a technology upgrade from the software vendor bombed (big time, and completely beyond my control).  On the other hand, the client informed me that they've just discovered the reason the project has been installed for a month was that their IT department in head office is working on a strategy that undermines the whole project (also completely beyond my control).

And yet I cannot help but know that God is in this.  Over the past year I've tried to expand my business to the next level on two occasions and both times things did not proceed.  Recently I was reviewing what had happened and concluded that perhaps the business was not expanding because I've also been focusing on my spiritual ministry.  From the point of 'where am I putting my creative energy' I have to confess that I've been imprinting mixed messages to the Divine.

Even as I started to write this blog, I got an email from the administrator with the client saying that they couldn't restore the technology because their Database Administrator didn't have the backup from Sunday (again, completely beyond my control).  I asked for a sign, alright!

And yet I cannot help but know that God is in this.  With this in mind I have begun re-evaluating my business vision.  An idea came to mind to send an email to a business contact.  I see it was putting out a feeler to God.  If I am truly meant to shift into a new business role then I surrender to events as they unfold.  If I have an intuition to email someone I had met for lunch about a business partnership to see if they're interested in bringing me into their organization, then I know God is in that.

As I write this a part of me is very calm; even as everything that I know regarding my business and the professional efforts of the past 2 years is experiencing a series of challenges.  Yet, I am not attached.  The old me would have struggled with things like, this being my fault, my having been a failure, or whatever.  Instead of suffering I am sitting here in faith.  Yes, it is not very pleasant.  A part of me feels a little sad, but that sadness is fading as I write this blog, as I embrace the spiritual practice of journalling, as I share and live my growth and transformation with strangers through an Internet blog, as I retain my awareness that God is in every event.

God is in all of this, ESPECIALLY the unpleasant stuff.  If you feel drawn to hold me in your prayers I would be grateful.  I know that the right and perfect outcome is already so with regards to my business and professional expression.  I know that I am excited by the opportunity to share my gifts and talents within a business environment, where I am valued and inspired by the opportunity bring amazing solutions to clients ready for the talents I bring, and working within a culture that resonates with my philosophy and passion.

Know the Flow as you go my friends.

Meditation, a Powerful Tool for Transformation

Sometimes things happen and are said that just blow you away.  Tonight I logged into second life and was greeted with the following message:

"Thanks to the meditations that i came to and the power of positive thinking you have helped me lose 50 lbs and i am now down to 255 pounds."

I like to think that I do not do this for recognition.  I don't log into Second Life every night to facilitate meditation to have someone say something like this.  But it is very inspiring to hear this sort of testimony.  This person has shown up and done the work.  I actually did very little except perhaps remind them of what they had within, the potential of their own power. 

More importantly, it's clear that they have embarked upon a daily spiritual practice.  I was thinking earlier on that for me the daily practice at clearing away the chatter and quietening the mind has helped me to become more skilful at managing my mind.  In turn, my life has been transformed.  And as I read that message I can   see that they are showing up and practicing. 

Meditation is only a tool.  But it is one of the most powerful tools I know to support one who travels the spiritual path.  I have the feeling that this person has only just begun.  Once you see a transformation like this in your life as a result of daily spiritual practice your belief and faith grows.  The only suggestion I would add is; keep it up!  If you know a tool is working for you, keep using it.

Know the Flow as you go, my friends.  If you knew how much love you are surrounded by you would never know fear again.